UBE Corporation (President: Masato Izumihara, hereinafter “UBE”) has announced in its medium-term management plan that it will position its composites business as a specialty business, targeting growth. In line with this plan, UBE has decided to further enhance the research and development capabilities of its composites business by establishing a new facility, tentatively named the Specialty Material Application Center (hereinafter “the facility”), within its Sakai Factory, located in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. Operations at the facility are slated to commence in April 2025.
Over the years, UBE has based its composites business development at Ube Chemical Factory in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Recently, however, the company has been consolidating its functions at its Osaka Research & Development Center in Sakai. The aims are to enhance access to customers and business bases both within and outside of Japan, improve information sharing, accelerate development, and promptly develop products that meet the needs of the times.
The facility will work in an integrated, efficient, and agile manner on end-to-end processes from the development of composite materials, primarily focused on engineering plastics, to the development of applications for those materials. The company plans to establish an environment that not only supplies new materials but also promotes the development of applications in collaboration with customers, in a system that responds immediately to customer and market needs. Upon completion, the facility is expected to serve as a core hub with global reach as a solution provider for composites, with a focus on engineering plastics.
| Location | 3-1 Chikko-shinmachi, Nishi-ku, Sakai City, Osaka (on the premises of Sakai Factory) |
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| Building specifications | Steel-framed, three stories above ground. Total floor space: approximately 3,300 square meters. |
| Construction timeline | Construction to begin in October 2023 and is expected to be completed by March 2025. |
| Facility layout | R&D building Ground floor: Molding and processing area, material production area Second floor: Raw material preparation area, material drying area, sample storage area Third floor: Physical properties evaluation area |
Rendering of the completed Specialty Material Application Center (tentative name) concept
Osaka Research & Development Center in Sakai
